The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Agents ‘collect’ money for free CFL project

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Wednesday, Jul 08, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Agents ‘collect’ money for free CFL project

Staff Reporter

EPDCL wants to distribute 25 lakh bulbs to domestic consumers in a phased manner

Stringent action if specific cases are brought to our notice, says official
EPDCL officials claim that the bulbs distributed by them are of high quality

VISAKHAPATNAM: A trend-setting initiative by Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Ltd. (EPDCL) has earned a bad name with the agents deployed by a company engaged by it for distribution of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) collecting Rs.5 to Rs.25 per bulb from the consumers.

When contacted, EPDCL Superintending Engineer (operations) B. Seshu Kumar told THE HINDU on Tuesday that they would take stringent action if any specific case were brought to their notice.

As per EPDCL instructions, they would collect Rs.15 per consumer in the next power bill – Rs.10 towards the long life of CFL and Rs.5 towards safe disposal of filament lamp, which the consumer has to give while accepting CFL.

CDM project

As part of the agreement signed by EPDCL with Osram (India) Ltd on May 8, 2007, the latter has to distribute CFLs to all the consumers free of cost under United Nations-funded Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

EPDCL wants to distribute 25 lakh bulbs to domestic consumers in a phased manner thereby reducing 150 mw of peak load in the districts under its jurisdiction. In the first phase, four lakh bulbs have been distributed and 2.5 lakh old traditional bulbs had been collected for destruction in the district.

A consumer in MVP Colony alleged that a person gave her a CFL bulb and collected Rs.25 saying it was mandatory to take an eco-friendly power saver bulb as per orders from EPDCL. However, enquiries reveal that despite warning by EPDCL senior officials, some were collecting money from the consumers for giving CFL bulbs free of cost.

It is envisaged that with an average saving of 45 watts per CFL bulb four four-hour use, EPDCL could save 50 million units of energy by distributing 7.5 lakh bulbs. This would give 34 mw peak load reduction for the company with added contribution of reducing 43.5 kilo tonnes of CO 2 emissions at 870 grams per unit saved.

EPDCL officials say the bulbs distributed by them were of high quality whereas the bulbs now available in the market were mostly made in China of poor quality and get damaged at short spells.

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